Notes / Commercial Description:
This listing refers ONLY to beers that explicitly say "Vintage" on the label. These currently date from 2002 onwards, and feature either the red label ("Nightlights" by Felix de Boeck) or the word Vintage printed directly below the words Oude Gueuze as in the profile picture.

Medium bodied with a soft, fluffy mouth feel and effervescent carbonation. A tad sticky on the lips, and drying on the palate.

Great balance of funk and citrus. A stellar example of a proper blend of gueuze, in the same ballpark as Lente if you ask me. I hope to encounter this one again, but the price and way it's acquired deters me a bit.

Brassy amber in appearance with crimson tinges. The slightly hazed liquid was topped by a tight, creamy, one-finger crown of eggshell colored foam. Over time, the head faded to a clingy ring of lace.

The aroma had tons of funky, musty barnyard character. Lots of wet hay. Grassy and quite lemony. Tart but not too acidic. Some Brett and critters. Fairly oaky. Mild sour cherry notes. Bit of crackery malts. There was also a touch of sweetness, which complimented the tartness quite well. Overall, quite intense and complex, yet still mellow and smooth.

The flavor profile was also rather impressive. A stiff, crackery malt base came through on the front end. Lots of wet hay and damp earth. Very musty and funky. Grassy in the center. Strong lemon rind notes were also apparent. This beer was definitely more bitter than sour. The finish was surprisingly hoppy, with the hops being earthy, pithy and quite bitter. Tons of oak and slightly acidic, vinegar-like notes came through as well. Very tannic and dry on the palate with some lingering wet hay, lemon and grapefruit rind notes. Overall, very complex. I was amazed by how funky and "old" the beer drank initially, yet how how hoppy and bitter it turned on the finish.

The mouthfeel was exceptionally smooth and creamy for the style. Medium-full bodied with a super fine, zippy effervescence.

Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze Vintage is a musty, funky and remarkably complex gueuze. The seven years of aging really seemed to soften any of the rough edges you might find in a younger example of the style. I paired this with some grassy, semi-soft goat cheese and would recommend others to do the same.

On a side note, I had this February 10, 2005 vintage alongside my girlfriend's April 12, 2005 bottle. I found my bottle to be slightly drier up front and much less pithy and bitter on the finish. It also had a much more plush mouthfeel. That said, I definitely preferred my bottle to hers.

The culmination of my visit to Moeder Lambic in Brussels was a 750ml bottle of this gorgeous gueuze. Costing a whopping, but understandable €35, this 9-year old vintage was served with appropriate pomp and ceremony in a classic Belgian Gueuze basket. Lot number on the bottle said 13/04/2002.

Pours a deep golden colour, orange hued in places, with a frothy head of escaping bubbles. Lace sticks statically around the glass, but is otherwise rather still. The extra depth and darkness to the colour I put down to age. It looks good.

Nose is, oh god, just phenomenal. So classic, but melded and blended. That classic rubbery gueuze funk, along with tart fruit, apple skin, latex, vanilla, oak, and even a sweeter berry-like aroma. Aged characters like wine cork come through as well. There's so much too this, and it's immensely complex, but it's all so well integrated. You just don't get a better gueuze nose.

Taste is similar. All classic flavours of course, but all with a common purpose. Sharp fruit, grapeskin, wood, sawdust, oak, tannins. All these characters and more stay and dance on the palate leaving it complex, but long. It doesn't use the full breadth of the palate, but it must explore just about every element of the "gueuze" palate.

And age? What age? Apart from the integration and the mellowness of the characters' combination, this is as clean and crisp as ever. I can see this easily lasting another 10 years.

Wow, this beer was unbelievable. The aroma and flavor were simply world class, and markedly improved from what I remember. Shockingly good. A must have if you are fond of the style.

*** Original review September 29, 2010 ***

Bottle shared by drabmuh. Thanks Matt!

2006 vintage

A: This beer is a yellowish color, slightly hazy, with a white fizzy head that fades rapidly, leaving no lacing,

S: I would like to quote Paul here: "This beer smells like a nun's crotch" Um...I'll take your word for it. Pleasant notes of funk, hay, wild yeast. Smells very nice.

T: A very tasty example of the style. The beer is sour, but not as much as I expected. It's quite pleasant and drinkable. There is subtle acetic or vinegar-like note in the finish. I would be more tolerant of this if the beer was more tart / sour overall. There are delicate hints of fruit in the nose and flavor that I find quite pleasant. A very piquant offering from a world class brewery.

M: Fairly low carbonation. Very smooth on the palate.

D: Quite drinkable and enjoyable. I'm happy that I had the opportunity to taste it. Recommended.

2003 Vintage - thanks for sharing Eugene! Pours cloudy, bright orange with a nice off white head. The smell twists my nose with funk, sourness and tartness. Taste is Wow! The taste is so well integrated and wonderful - tart, sour and funky. Light bodied with active carbonation. Overall a really great beer.

O: I continue to be blown away by Armand's Geuzes. I hope I'm rich someday so I can have a cellar full of them - of course, I got this bottle at the brewery for something like 7 euro, so for once a world-class Lambic didn't cost an arm and a leg. I would drink this daily if I could (unless I had an equally unlimited supply of Armand'4 Lente, that is). I can't wait to try more vintages of this fantastic beer.

Thanks to Dyan for supplying this 2002 bottle to go along with the 2001 De Cam and the Blauw. Consumed side-by-side with the Blauw, and I think this one just beat out the other 3F geuze. What an awesome experience. Beer number 9 of the tasting, and number 3 on day 2.

Pours mostly clear with a slight haze, deep rich amber in color. The head is amply and sticky, providing a smattering of bubbles on the side of my tumbler, but nothing that is easily described. The cork blasted right out of the bottle as soon as we undid the cage, but there was no gush as all. The streamers in the beer look majestic. This is flawless.

The aroma is funky, dry, tannic, full of citrus rinds and a briny character, though not nearly as much so as the 2001 De Cam Oude Lambiek. Light and bright, their is a soily earthiness that makes me feel like I just buried my nose in a compost heap. The flavor is phenomenal as well, as dry and oaky tannins combine with an earthiness that can only be described as dank and musty forest floor combined with mushrbooms, and sour to the point where I can feel it in my enamel. There is not even a touch of acetic sourness. The acidity that wilts my teeth does not translate any farther into the digestive tract, as my esophagus and stomach are unaffected. The finish is full of lemon and grapefruit zest with more lactic sourness.

The overall feel is a bone dry sensation. Sprity but not overly so, the earthiness, funk, and briney salt water sensation make this an absolute standout among geuze offerings. This is absolutely phenomenal. Armand is a true craftsman.

this was a 2003 bottle
shared at darkness day by backfat
reviewed from notes

deep apricot color. small head. spotty lacing. looks like a nice gueuze. Huge oak notes. Some funky dank earth character. Light fresh citrusy fruit notes: lime zest, maybe some apricots or pears too.
Just tongue-scrubbingly sour. Very very nice. Really easy drinking despite being so acidic that it forces you to pull your cheeks in on the finish and do that thing where you feel the need to swallow repeatedly-- with a forced effort.

The beer is just delicious. Spectacular gueuze that I hope to acquire some bottles for myself...

This beer will have you cursing in foreign tongues trying to figure out what it was that you actually just put into your mouth. Some Etheopian slang words are entering my head now just thinking about it. Ok, this is gueuze. There's no getting around it, you are either masochitistly into this, or you try to avoid it like the vile stench of the night that it is. I'm a masochist, let's dive in. This pours like a fine sparkling wine, with a fresca like effervescence. Are you allowed to compare beer to Fresca here? YOU CAN'T STOP ME! There's all sorts of crazyness going on in the nose. Sour, spicy, even bitter notes float up, like cherries and tar, but in a good way.Suck on a lemon, stick some tobacco up our nose, and cover your head with a musty old gym bag. Congrats, you just saved $10. The body is equally complex, but strangely different from the nose. Here you'll find lots of grapefruit and sour apple, cherries, and some used bandaids. It goes down slick, almost oily, but still bubbly and light, with a clean refreshing finish. The sourness lingers longest on the palate, but every sip was a mystery, building on the last. So far, this is now my favorite way to punish myself with a gueuze.

A bottle from 2007. Slightly orange tint. The smell is very sour, makes you expect a huge bite because of the age. Taste was more mellow, had a good hearty/sour taste but not a lot bite. Not very smooth, but that could be age. Amazing and a great experience.

A - Pours a clear copper with two fingers of white head. Head has nice retention before fading to a cap.

S - Rich musty aroma that seems to be a 3F signature, with hints of citrus. Also a faint musty cheese aroma. Very nice.

T - Initially tart but not bracingly so. Very earthy, with building bitterness and tartness midway through with a considerable grapefruit bite. Very tasty.

M - Medium mouthfeel that is quite up front and finishes with substantial bitterness that lingers for awhile.

O - Very enjoyable. I'm loving the 3F musty funk. Good tart/bitter character with a nice earthiness as well. After an amazing tasting day at 3F, I can't help but be a bit sad thinking about how difficult it is to find nice lambic/geuze in the U.S. But what a day it was...

2002 vintage bottle drank in 2008: Poured a slightly hazy orangey color lambic with a medium white bubbly head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of green apple with some acid and sour notes and some mild barnyard notes. Taste is less acidic then the aroma was suggesting with some sour notes and a barnyard feel which is quite interesting. There was some distinctive green apple notes which are similar to the Girardin gueuze. Full body with some good carbonation but slightly lower then I was expecting. I can't say that I see a huge difference form the regular geueze but IO as impressed nonetheless.

Reviewing the Oude Geuze Vintage 2003 from Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen out of Belgium.

Score: 95

Bottle is dated 03/05/03. Served in a Drie Fonteinen fountain tumbler and enjoyed on 05/28/14. Thank you Paul for sharing this treat!

Appearance: Pours a murky golden yellow color with a slight brown tinge and a thin layer of head that totally settles. Poor lacing and retention. This looks like your typical 3F Oude Geuze. 4/5

Smell: Musty lemon, cedar/wood, and a light barnyard funk. Residual "brightness" relative to the citrus character is fresher vintage OGV's. Reminisce (perhaps just because of the cedar/wood character) of Blauw, but with less complexity/zing. 4.5/5

Taste: Funkier than the nose, particularly on the finish. Tart lemon bite, must, grain, peach, and a little spice. Faint wood character on the finish. Lasting musty lemon on the finish. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied, good carbonation. Juicy mouthfeel with a nice gum-dryness to the finish. Nice tart bite with good linger. 4.5/5

Overall: The six year old bottle of 2007 and 2008 OGV that I have previously sampled still reign king among the different vintages of OGV sampled, but this still drank quite nice. Relative to the non-OGV Oude Geuze 2004 recently sampled, this vintage bottle had more zing despite being a year older. The OGV series is a testament to proper storage and the reliability of Armand's personal stash. I most recommend acquiring OGV 2008 or OGV 2007, but the OGV 2003 is also quite recommendable as well.

Vintage 2002. Aroma: Dank funkyness, sharp funk some cheese and citrus layers. This is going to be sharp and sour! Appearance: Dark gold and long lasting white foam. Flavors: Actually, it is not that sour. It is a very balanced rounded citrus sourness. Also, earthy notes and wood brings a nice complexity. Palate: Relatively high carbonation and full bodied. Could have been more dry. Overall: This beer was top shape and very good. Tried the 2007 vintage directly after which I liked a lot. Much sharper, a little more straightforward but equally good.

375 ml. 2005 vintage. Pours a still, clear amber with no head and no lacing on the glass. The aroma is majestic. Huge amounts of funk, mushroom, oak, sweaty socks, light lemon, apple, and grapefruit. The taste is tons of funk as well. A decent initial tartness, some oak, light lemon, grapefruit, and sweaty socks with a bretty funk finish. Very smooth for the amount of complex flavors happening. Medium body. Soft, chewy mouthfeel. Close to no carbonation. This beer was simply magnificent. All the complex flavors come together wonderfully. The only thing I could ask for is slightly more carbonation.

Big thanks to foofaa for opening this 2007 bottle at Imminent Liquidation II for us to try. I have been wanting to try one of these for awhile now.

A - Pours slightly hazy copper orange with a fluffy one finger tall white head leaving small streaks of lace down the glass.

S - Smells of lots of horse blanket funk, damp earth, granny smith apples, lemon, basement must and a good amount of oak. While it possesses quite a bit of funk, it never gets too overpowering.

T - Starts off with a decent sour kick initially quickly being enveloped by the strong barnyard funk, musty earth, fruit and a touch of sweetness. Finish has plenty of oak tannins, combining with a little leftover funk, to leave the pallet dried but craving more.

M - Light body with tart, crisp feel and moderate carbonation. This one has very nice balance, as most drie fonteinen's do, and it was very easy to drink.

O - I have now had nearly all of the gueuze's from drie fonteinen and I can definitely see why people go crazy over them. They are crisp and flavorful while remaining easy to drink. Not my favorite of the bunch but no slouch either.

Full vertical provided by myself, Jason, and Sean. We even had the Cuvée Valentijn and two different bottlings from 2005. Served in various tasters.

A - Other than the flat 2006, most had voluminous off-white foam that settled to a thick collar, partial cap, and minimal lace. Hazed golden apricot body that got increasingly murky as the bottles emptied. Surprisingly there were no gushers in this collection.

S - Most of the vintages were heavy on musty barn, green funk, some feet, cheese, hay and grass, lemon, stone fruits, and hints of vanilla and oak. Unlike Cantillon, or even the 3F '03 Oude Geuze we sampled side-by-side, these are fairly restrained in acetobacter and sourness. The '02 was incredibly dusty and leathery. A few had a vaguely moldy note.

T - Taste is slightly more sour, with lemons, stone fruits, and a perceptible pale malt and wheat backdrop. There's some tart appleskins, hay, leather, and grass. Only light kiss of malt sweetness and vanilla in the periphery.

M - Spritzy and light in body, but smooth on the palate. Very dry and lightly tannic finish. Clean and refreshing.

D - I think we put down over a gallon of gueze last night. Wish we got this on draft, as it'd be a superb session brew.

Warning - the 2006 vintage was very weird. No carbonation, cloying sweetness, and not at all like the bottle mentioned in drabmuh's review. It's almost as if the yeast and bacteria went dormant. If you have a 2006 with foil overwrap and a synthetic cork, you may want to sit on it for a few more years in the hopes that it develops. The rest of these are superb and can be consumed now.

In order I liked 2002, 2007 (CV), 2005 (February), 2004, 2003, and 2005 (December), and I disliked 2006. The Oude Geuze '03 was a totally different beast, with lots of lactic sourness and less funk, even though it was bottled only a month before the Oude Geuze Vintage '03. Batch variation? Cellar conditions? Who knows?

In any case, a thoroughly enjoyable experiment that is well worth repeating in the future.

Taste: Up front the flavor is quite tart, with tangerine pushing its way to my palate's forefront. An aggressive barnyard flavor comes through.

Mouthfeel: This is very smooth, sour, acidic, and dry. A refreshing carbonation keeps this feeling light.

Overall: Funky, very complex, and quite enjoyable. As my lambic experience grows, this is definitely one I would like to revisit in order to appreciate more of the complexity that I may have missed. Nonetheless a fantastic beer.

Appearance is a lovely apple cider-like orange with no head. No bubbles. Smell is perfect - best smelling sour I've ever had. Smells like horse fart, hay, and wet golden retriever. Unbelievable. Taste is also great - bitter and harsh lemons that are so strong that I think my soft palate is swelling. It's thin, light, and refreshing.

Huge thanks to TOG (the original glazeman) for far and away the best sour I've ever had. This 2006 gem was everything and more that I could have ever expected.

thanks to drabmuh for hooking this up in the growler BIF. 37.5cl...3/10/2008.

a - opened the corked n caged bottle and filled my urthel tulip. poured a hazy orange. big yeasty head that slowly bubbled away lacing was chunky and slowly slid along the side of the glass in huge chunks.

s - very even and balanced sweet and sour. lemons over limes. orange peel sweet tarts. a touch of grass.

m - starts off with a burst of mouth puckering and then a blast of prickly fizziness finishing with a grassy dryness.

o - overall, having recently had a "fresher" one from 2010, i can begin to understand the current demand for aged sours. really easy drinker and really a wonderful interesting beer. although i doubt i'll ever dig sours more than RIS, it is a style that i am beginning to enjoy exploring.